Nicole Forbis went behind the scenes to bring you the inspiration behind the backstage beauty and to chat with the legendary couture bridal designer Monique Lhuillier about her inspiration behind this fall’s exquisite line!

Lhuillier: Welcome to the show!

Forbis: Thank you! What was the inspiration behind the collection this season?

Lhuillier: Well the collection this season is dramatic, bold and it’s modern at the same time because I really played with the silhouettes and made sure they were cleaner, closer to the body, longer lengths and really less pretty, it’s dark. I also wanted to cross over a bit and twist it up so you’ll see subtle skull details in the prints or in the embroidery you’ll see scorpions [and] spider webs. So it’s really going the other direction. For spring I always like it to feel very promising and beautiful and light, but for fall I wanted to create that mystery and I did it with [the skull, spider web and scorpion] details.

The Hair LookThe hair design was created by Bob Racine for Moroccanoil. “When you perfect beauty you lose its charm.” Bob Racine, Master Sylist for Moroccanoil.

Bob Recine created soft and easy rolled vertical chignons that were sophisticated yet casual. “These are hairdos of confidence,” explains Recine, “and are a loose, gamine-like contrast to the elegant, well-done clothes.”

An innovative take on the traditional chignon, the look features two vertical rolls placed side by side to create a flowing bunches-up effect, “Unlike the classic, twisted chignon (smoothers under on one side and twisted over on the other), the look gives an identical profile on each side of the face, and is elegant without appearing over-styled,” explains Recine. “I also designed the flow and lines of the styles to follow the natural geometry of each model’s jawline.”

“I like the ideas of careless, freer-looking hair, but using the right product to create a modern look – and a texture that looks almost like the reflection of moving water.”

How to DIY at home by Bob Recine for Moroccanoil1. “I started by mixing Moroccanoil Volumizing Mousse with water in the palms of my hands, and worked this through the hair.”2. “Before starting to blow dry, I sprayed Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Medium all over the hair for added texture.”3. “To free the hair, I dried it by moving the blow dryer above the head from every direction – with air flowing almost as if you were sitting in a convertible with the wind coming from every side.” (Have fun with this part ladies and rock out to your favorite song while blow-drying your hair!)4. “I then pulled the hair back, and made two ponytails and twisted them. I loosely rolled each one upward, tucked in the ends, and secured each twisted roll, letting loose strands and wisps fall as they wished.” (In other words, don’t try and make it perfect, the idea is for a more natural look than a perfected in the salon style.)5. “I finished by using Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Strong, spraying closer to the hair than usual, for a shiny, textural effect that looked styled and modern.” (ok, now you can spray it on thick ladies to make it stay all day!)For more about these products, visit www.Moroccanoil.com

The Nails!Taking inspiration from the feminine pieces in Monique Lhuillier’s collection, Julie Kandalec for essie created a sheer, pastel pink nail reminiscent of cherry blossoms. The nail color pops against the lightest pink found throughout the desginer’s collection.

Forbis: How did you create this look for the models?

Kandalec: The collection is about the romantic dark side of a woman, so the collection is a lot of black and white with a few shades of pink. It’s kinda about the juxtaposition. So we wanted to keep the nails very feminine. [Lhuillier] didn’t want to be, and I quote ‘overly glamorous’, so we chose one coat only of muchi, muchi, which shows up on the nail but not too much. And to me it’s very cherry-blossomesque.

How to DIY at home1. Apply one coat of ridge filling base coat to clean, filed nails.2. Next, apply one coat of muchi, muchi.3. Finish with good to go top coat!For more about essie products, head to www.essie.com

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Entrepreneur | Philanthropist | Journalist | REALTOR | Social Media Maven | Your It Girl | @NicoleForbis | NicoleForbis.com
Nicole Forbis is a Contributing Writer for Latina.com, The Latin Kitchen, Splash Magazines, and Florida Weekly covering Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle, Entertainment, Travel and Cuisine.
Founder of Naples Fashion Week, The Social Butterflies (a non-profit social organization), Owner of It Girl Consulting, a luxury concierge REALTOR, a Fort Myers Film Festival Advisory Board Member, and Founding Member of the Fusion Alliance, Ms. Forbis plays an active role in her community.
Known for her brands as a "Frugal Fashionista" and the "Philanthropic Fashionista", "Your It Girl" Nicole Forbis is spotted at restaurant openings, fashion shows, and any chic event from Miami to NYC.
Miss Forbis enjoys spending time with friends, family and her two dogs. Let's Connect! facebook.com/NicoleForbis @NicoleForbis